This is my problem... I have spent the last 9 years learning all about wakeboarding and have spent more time driving, coaching and teaching... but I figured this is the year that I need to actually ride and start learning myself... It all hit me today... I took my friend out who has been on a wakeboard a few times ever since I introduced him to the sport late last summer... so this is his first official year of riding... today... our 3rd time out this year.... he landed his first backroll.... and then came inches short on a raley attempt... he did land his half cab 180 and just came short on a toeside 540.... he has never snowboarded or skateboarded... he just listens well and has balls!!!

I on the other hand... can basically jump wake to wake heelside... and sometimes toeside...

But I do not go big... I can teach the progessive cut.. but when I try and do it myself... I swear I cut out to the flats... start the approach and start way too fast... and then flatten out... so I clear the wake due to speed... but my front (right) leg (I ride goofy)... tip of the board goes skyward and the tail seems to stay low... and has no style or anything...

I know I am suppose to stand tall at the wake and not absorb it... and I think this is where my biggest mental block occurs.... when I am on the water... I feel like I am doing it correctly... but on video and pictures... I look like the typical guy that grabs the rental boat and board with his bright orange jacket and stretchy rope.. thinking I am going big.. when I am not...

I know its not about equipment... I like to have the best of everything... so I always buy the latest and greatest in boards, boots, boats.. etc etc etc.... and I suck... but my friends love it.... so I need some help!!! Else I am going to sell everything so everyone else can suffer with me!!!

Am I not putting enough weight on my front foot? Any little tips to try and get out of this mental block?

I teach the progressive cut with the dial zero to ten analogy... but it doesnt work for me... for some reason I go from zero to ten... and then back to zero and skip all the steps in between.... far from the progressive cut!!!!

Don't give up. I have the same symptoms, I just don't stand up at the wake for some reason. The whole timing thing throws me off...haha. Just practice more and maybe have someone else on the boat with you that knows what is going wrong so you can try over and over and watch video later. I always make sure I have fun when I'm out there despite the fact that I'm inconsistent.

As Rich said, don't think so much. Go out there have fun. Try some other things, eg. ollie backside 180's. Try and get some big inside out jumps, pushing to get the most height. Then translate that over to a W2W jump. Also don't try and go big, work for good technique going from one wake to the other. Don't edge out so far out, start ten feet out and try clearing the wake from there (short but aggressive edge through the wake) then work your way out from there for more speed and height. Just remember the progressive edge, you don't need to go at it hard, it'll get you accross the wake, relax and have fun.

A good excercise for technique is this: 1. Edge as far out as you can toeside. 2. Flatten out, letting the boat pull you back towards the wake. 3. Set your shoulders, hips and feet to the angle you are comfortable at, with the handle at hip level. STAY IN THIS POSITION! 4. Slowly edging towards the wake, pop up and over the first wake, land, then up and over the second wake, and edge all the way out to the other side.

Did your shoulders stay in position? when you popped up over the first wake, did you land on the same edge you left the top of the wake at, or did you come over on your toes and have to reset before the second wake? If you have improper form, it is surprisingly hard to pop of each wake on this path. when you can do it, your w2w form is where it needs to be.

It's like golf...the more you do it the better you get and the more consistent your "swing". It's also like golf in that there are a lot of people that play, but only a few that are good enough to call themselves pros. I'm in that 99% that love the sport but knows they'll never be a pro...so I just enjoy the heck out of myself and try to improve best I can little by little. I have too have a terrible time extending off the wake...too many years on a ski learning to absorb the wake I guess. Keep at it and have fun!!